Chips of the electronic variety are also known as integrated circuit devices. Modern life as we know has been affected in virtually all aspects by tiny chips with integrated circuits. We often take for granted or do not realized that from the smallest cell phone to the heavy equipment for manufacturing aircraft, chips are part of how things get done.
The demands for electronic devices with integrated circuits increasingly require more functions with faster response in reduced dimensions and at lower prices. These high performance devices often demand all of lighter, faster, smaller, multi-functional, highly reliable, and lower cost.
In efforts to meet such requirements, improvements have been attempted in many aspects of electronic product development such as producing smaller and less expensive semiconductor chips. Unfortunately, this development is still not enough to satisfy the demands. Every aspect including packaging can contribute.
Numerous technologies have been developed to meet these requirements. Some research and development focused on new package technologies while others focused on improving existing and mature package technologies. Research and development in package technologies may include a seemingly endless number of different approaches.
One proven way to reduce cost is to use package technologies with existing manufacturing methods and equipments. Paradoxically, the reuse of existing manufacturing processes does not typically result in the reduction of package size. Existing packaging technologies struggle to cost effectively meet demands of today's integrated circuit packages.
Commonly used integrated circuit or semiconductor device methodologies for packaging often use substrates for stacking integrated circuit devices. Stacking requires connection patterns of input and output elements such as leads, posts, wires, or other conductors connecting the integrated circuit device.
Of course, the requirement of additional material including a substrate undesirably increases the thickness and cost of fabricating the package. Moreover, the use of additional substrate material may undesirably increase the manufacturing cycle time, which can also increase cost.
Despite the advantages of recent developments in semiconductor fabrication and packaging techniques, there is a continuing need for improving electronic device size, performance, reliability, and manufacturing.
Thus, a need still remains for an integrated circuit packaging system with improved manufacturing processes and materials. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.